Google launched its Public DNS as an experiment in late 2009. Now Google has announced that it’s public DNS serves up to 70 billion requests making it the largest in the world. Google Engineer, Jeremy K. Chen expressed that in the official blog entry.
DNS- short for Domain Name Systems – is like the telephone directory of the internet. When you type a domain address (e.g www.google.com) into a browser, the DNS service will look the url up and matches it to an IP address (telephone number). Google Public DNS aims to simplify the process and return the complete, secure and fastest listing for users all over the world.
Google indicates that 70% of Google Public DNS traffic comes from outside the US. Google has set up nodes in the Americas, Europe, and new nodes for regions like Japan, Australia, India and Nigeria.
Privacy activists have questions why Google should have access to the logs of websites visited by clients all over the world calling for authorities to intervene. .
Google has indicated that it never interferes with users, unlike other open resolvers and ISPs. InformationWeek show that Google maintains two set of server logs. One which is temporary contains IP addresses and are deleted in 24 – 48 hours while the permanent server logs maintaining city level location data is deleted after two weeks. A small random sample taken from permanent logs is kept indefinitely by Google.
Google has not made it clear if its Public DNS’ privacy policy will be streamlined into Google’s streamlined, unified document that’s going live on March 1st. I think that Google Public DNS will never be added to the unified privacy policy. Check on the legalities.
On World IPv6 Day, Google announced its Public DNS’ IPv6 addresses: 2001:4860:4860::8888 and 2001:4860:4860::8844 to supplement the original addresses, 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4.
Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
